Recording Industry Says C-D Burning Bigger Problem Than File-Sharing

Sonora, CA — Music copied onto blank C-D´s is becoming a bigger threat to the recording industry than online file-sharing.

The chief executive for the Recording Industry Association of America says “burned” C-Ds account for 29 percent of all recorded music obtained by fans in 2004.

About half of all recordings obtained in 2004 came from authorized C-D sales and about four percent from paid music downloads. Nielsen SoundScan says album sales in North America are down about seven percent this year compared with a year ago.

Some industry executives favor releasing more albums in a copy-protected C-D format, regardless of backlash from fans. The C-Ds typically allow users to burn no more than a handful of copies.